In the spring of 1993, my father and I took a trip to the Gulf Coast of Florida. That week there was a huge controversy about a then pending execution (which ultimately happened on the Saturday night). The prisoner was a veteran of the Vietnam War, who was pleading for clemency on the basis he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- a legitimate mental health condition, one that used to be called "shell shock." The then Governor was having none of it. Being a long time opponent of capital punishment, I felt disgusted. It's not like the guy was asking to be released -- he admitted what he did. He just wanted a life sentence. Even my father, an avowed supporter of the death penalty, thought the Governor should have cut the prisoner some slack.
No doubt, Vietnam and other "interventions" forced a rethink of how we view the side effects of war on the combatants. At least, among civilians -- not among law enforcement officials. And while public health authorities have warned of an impending crisis, the inner circle of executive authorities simply have not listened.
Well, welcome to 2008. And the NYT reports today that no fewer than 121 veterans of the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have been charged with committing homicide. If that be so, it is truly alarming. It shows a complete breakdown not just of the Defense Department's healthcare network (which washes its hands once a member of the military returns to civilian life) but also that in Veteran's Affairs. Be clear, there is no justification for killing another human being; but also be clear that nothing is being done to prevent such killings from happening in the first place.
And judges, mostly schooled in hard knocks rather than getting even elementary training in the natural and health sciences, still don't accept the legitimacy of PTSD.
In attempting to build democracy abroad, Dubya has undermined it at home. I've said this several times; but in this case it bears repeating. Treating the Armed Services like common chattels instead of human beings who need to be heard, who need help to deal with the after-effects of war before they really snap, is reprehensible. There's no question in my mind that sooner or later a Canadian veteran will face similar criminal charges and the JAG or Crown Attorney here (depending on if it's a military or civilian trial) won't give a shit either.
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2 comments:
Thanks for writing about this. I also posted about it this morning.
Forgive me if I seem picky, but that's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, more frequently called PTSD. I only mention it because if you say PTDD people won't know what you mean.
Thanks for the post.
True ... and I've updated accordingly. I've just heard it alternately called PTSD and PTDD.
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